Weapon of Choice
by tractus.solitarius
Summary: Apparently Mack isn't the only one who likes axes. Oneshot. Pre-Maveth.


**This oneshot is pre-Maveth. Mack and Ward confront each other in the castle while the others are busy elsewhere. Skyeward if you squint (you gotta squint really hard though). I don't own Agents of SHIELD.**

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"Thought you like axes?" Ward questions Mack, face looking so disappointed with his enemy's choice of forgoing any sort of weaponry. Did he seriously think he could beat him with his bare fists? He may be almost a foot bigger than he is, and maybe twenty or thirty pounds heavier, but he's no trained specialist. It takes more than a superlative physique to win a fight. "You knew there's a chance that you're going to face me, you should've at least brought one."

The punches Mack had received in the last few minutes made him a little dizzy. The bastard could really hold his own.

"Lost your tongue now?"

"You want an ax?" The smirk that accompanies Mack's response is unsettling to say the least. "Careful what you wish for..."

The roof on top of them suddenly explodes.

Out of nowhere, a burst of transparent force erupts into their midst. It carries with it a blur of black speed hurtling so fast towards their direction that a mere blink could've probably make Ward miss it altogether. A pair of flying dark boots appears directly on his line of vision, climbing onto some sort of invisible staircase until it reaches up to the level of his chest. He reflexively looks up, bracing himself to an attack that is most definitely about to come. Judging by the speed of the lunge, the owner of those leather garments, whoever he is, means business.

Everything happens in slow motion as he rakes his eyes from the boots, to thin legs attached to them, to a pair of shapely thighs, to the form-fitting jacket, and finally to the familiar face that he used to hold onto during his darkest moments once upon a time. It's-

However, before this new startling development could coerce any form of verbal response from him, his darkly clad opponent makes a freakishly precise somersault in the air. He is too awed to react, too surprised to take any defensive stance, that by the time he realizes what is about to happen, it is too late.

A leg slices straight down towards him, its aim squarely focused on landing on top of his left shoulder. It comes down in such alarming intensity that he is already kissing the ground before he actually realizes that he has fallen.

"Damn it." Ward's words are caught between a groan and a wheeze as he lays motionlessly on the ground, thoroughly winded. He thinks his collarbone is broken. He stares at the person in front of him dazedly. "You?"

Was that an axe kick? A goddamn flying axe kick? Seriously? How many moves and tactics he'd taught her would she use against him in this particular lifetime?

"Yup." Skye answers, her lips smacking against each other with a resounding pop. She doesn't bother correcting him about her name. "Heard you've been looking for an axe?"

Mack carefully approaches her side, his gait notably affected by his limping. Despite his injuries, his delight at seeing Daisy is unmistakable. A few more minutes and Ward would surely have demolished him. "What took you so long, Tremors?"

She shrugs. "Got tied up a bit back there." She gives Mack a fleeting once over before returning her gaze to her still recovering former S.O. The mechanic is peppered in bruises. "He did all that to you?"

"Nope. I broke my cheek bone and two of my ribs by punching myself repeatedly." The tall man replies dryly, then quickly proceeds to chuckling bashfully. "Yeah, he throws some mean jabs."

"He tends to do that." She says. The irate tone she uses bitterly twists Ward's gut for some reason.

"But I did land him a couple." Mack claims. "Let's get that one thing clear."

"That, I don't doubt." Mack does train with Bobbi from time to time, and anyone who trains with Bobbi is meant to pick up a thing or two. She should know. Barring the use of her powers, Bobbi is the only other specialist other than May who she hasn't defeated yet in a serious sparring match.

Well, there's Romanoff and Barton. But really, those two are out of the question. She may be more confident with her combat skills now that when she started, but she is almost certain she is still no way near landing anything on those two. They became members of the Avengers for a reason.

So that leaves Ward. Can she take him down? Sure. She just had him have a little taste of what she could do. Some of it, at least.

But can she take him down without powers? Well, that's a curiosity she's itching to delve deeper into.

Her gaze lands pointedly to the specialist in question. He is slowly rising back to his feet by then." You go ahead," she tells Mack. "Find the others. I'll handle this."

"You sure?" Mack asks. Always an overprotective big brother, that one.

"Go." She orders without a moment's hesitation. Wary eyes lands on her opponent's almost laughable attempt to shake the dizziness off his head.

"Skye." Ward breathes, voice half wondrous, half in pain. "Nice kick."

She rolls her eyes at him. "I didn't do it to impress you."

He smiles. "I know." He's never been prouder of his rookie than this very moment. "Doesn't make me any less impressed."

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 **This is a pointless oneshot, I know. But I really would kill to see a real Daisy vs Ward fight sequence. Comments?**


End file.
